About the Hearing Matters Podcast
 
The Hearing Matters Podcast discusses hearing technology (more commonly known as hearing aids), best practices, and a growing national epidemic - Hearing Loss. The show is hosted by father and son - Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino, CCC-A. Blaise Delfino and Dr. Gregory Delfino treat patients with hearing loss at Audiology Services, located in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and East Stroudsburg, PA.

About Dr. Phillip Zazove

On this week’s episode, Blaise Delfino talks to Dr. Phillip Zazove, the George A. Dean Chair and Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan. Dr. Zazove is Deaf.

Dr. Zazove explains that he was not diagnosed with profound hearing loss until he was four years old. At that time children who were deaf were put in state schools for the deaf. His parent however believed that he could compete in a regular school setting, so he was in mainstreamed. He was the first deaf child to be mainstreamed in the northern Chicago suburbs. His parents were great advocates for him. 

When he was a child, there were no cell phones or other technology to help deaf children. Hearing aids were big and bulky. He refused to wear hearing aids because he didn’t want to be different. Today’s children have greater advantages than kids even 25 years ago. 

Dr. Zazove says he got his passion and grit from his parents, who were both doctors. He adds that getting to know other people with disabilities also drove him to want to help others, especially those with disabilities.

Advocating for yourself as a deaf person is especially important. If a deaf or hard of hearing person doesn’t tell his doctors, for example, that he can’t hear, he may not get the best care. The doctor needs to know so he/she can be sure the patient understands what’s going on. He adds that people need not be embarrassed that they have a hearing loss and should think about wearing hearing aids the same as wearing glasses. 

Dr. Zazove did studies that show a doctor will treat a hearing patient differently when it comes to recommending having colonoscopy, mammogram, cancer screening, etc. Another study demonstrated that a deaf or hard of hearing patient is more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days than a hearing person. He says processes and procedures need to be set in place, so doctors know to ask patients if they have hearing loss.

Dr. Zazove applied to about 30 medical schools and was only accepted to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. He was the third deaf person to go through medical college.

He believes there are four things that can help an individual who is Deaf the most:

1. Parent advocacy when the child is going through school. 

2. Learning a language by age three, whether it’s sign language, English, Russian, etc. 

3. Make whatever accommodations are needed, whether it’s sitting at the front of the class, getting hearing aids or a cochlear implant or having an interpreter. 

4. Join support groups.

Dr. Zazove runs a foundation for Deaf high school  students who wish to go to college. It is known as the Louise Tumarkin Zazove Medical Foundation and is in its 17th year. It generally pays for a deaf or hard of hearing student’s full tuition for four years. 

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